This year, our summer is beginning with hot, hot sunny days (so hot that we have been advised that our Forest Parkway Library is a designated cooling center). The beautiful sunsets each day with the blending of red, orange and yellow colors fill the sky on a background of azure blue. I have always loved sunset (which you can view from many areas of our Woodhaven), when bright flashes of light brilliantly end the day. As the sun sets, the sapphire dark blue of night descends and another day ends.

On July 4, as we celebrated the birth of our nation, we rejoiced in the beautiful fireworks display of our own Macy’s New York. This New York City institution and the largest store in the world delights as each year, at great expense as I have stated before, with the shower of fireworks of July 4th and the great Thanksgiving parade that heralds the Christmas season. These are gifts to our great city and to us the fortunate residents from this veritable department store.

How very fortunate we are to have the freedom and warmth of our comfortable homes, the availability of our stores and businesses with every item that we may need. From food to jewelry, from insurance to expert photography, we in Woodhaven have it all! Our Forest Park, our Jamaica Avenue, trees and flowers in our backyards.

We work. We have food, clothing, homes and the choice of either eating out, ordering in or cooking our own specialties in our kitchens or on our grills. Yes, we make our own choices in every part of our life, in our religion, in where we live, and in how we want to live. All of these choices and freedoms we Americans have paid for, since that July 4th, many years ago.

On that day we declared and then fought and won our independence and freedom. On July 4, we celebrated the fact that our America, and we are still here, with our freedoms intact strongly standing together. We enjoy the fireworks, a gift from a department store, a much bigger version of our little stores but built with the same concept of the “American Dream” - to work hard, to strive for happiness and success.

Recently that American Dream for four great gentlemen, David Eng, Loycent Gordon, Andy Bigan and Alex Ewen, restored a piece of Woodhaven history, our own Neir’s Bar. This, a local landmark, originally opened in 1829. Last week the owners, who worked so hard and did a wonderful job in recapturing and preserving the originality of this bar, held an official “Reopening Weekend.” It was a great success (even Mae West showed up!). So drop by (87-48 78th Street), and enjoy an evening of talented, live musicians, with good, warm company and nostalgic surroundings.

Remember on our Woodhaven’s Jamaica Avenue you can buy one suit and get two free, as well as 50 to 70 percent off all men’s apparel. Only in Woodhaven can you go to an historic bar and also shop on our Woodhaven’s Jamaica Avenue, your Woodhaven Business Improvement District, where there are bargains, bargains, bargains!

I hope you enjoyed your July 4th weekend, for especially in this world that we live in today, we celebrated our freedom and we pray for all who have fought and died, and are still fighting and dying to preserve it. So, this July 4th as we celebrated America’s Happy Birthday, remember we are a free and noble country, the best in the world, but “Freedom is not Free.” Sadly there is a price to be paid for it.

So, fly our American flags proudly above all others in honor of our “Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.” On this July 4, and every day, may God bless our leaders, may God bless the men and women of our armed forces, may God bless our little Woodhaven, and most of all may God bless our America.